Reflection Layout for Remote Sensing in Medical Imaging Bores
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical imaging systems with examination bores have limited access and view from the outside, leading to unsuitable examination setups that are often recognized too late or not at all, affecting the quality of patient observation and measurement.
Innovation Solution
A medical imaging system with a workflow camera system and reflection system that allows for optimizing the arrangement of reflective surfaces to establish a line-of-sight between an area of interest inside the examination bore and an external device, using a workflow camera to detect and adjust the reflection system arrangement for improved visibility and signal quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If in-bore cameras or mirror arrangements are employed to allow inside view of patient during examination, then visibility of patient during examination is improved, but device complexity and arrangement difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The workflow camera captures images of the examination setup before the patient is positioned in the bore. This preliminary documentation allows verification of the reflection system arrangement and patient positioning before the actual examination begins, preventing visibility problems without requiring complex in-bore cameras.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing cameras inside the bore to directly view the patient, the invention uses external workflow cameras to capture images that are then used to verify and optimize the reflection system arrangement. This copying approach avoids the complexity of in-bore imaging while still enabling visibility optimization.
2Reliability
If examination setup is verified only after patient is in in-bore position, then proper view can be confirmed, but examination time is lost and patient comfort is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The workflow camera documents the examination setup including patient positioning and reflection system arrangement before the patient enters the bore. This preliminary verification ensures that the setup is correct without requiring repositioning after the examination has started, thus saving time and improving patient comfort.
3Ease of manufacture
If reflection system is arranged without preliminary optimization, then setup process is simpler, but signal-to-noise ratio and measurement quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The workflow camera captures the setup before patient positioning, allowing the reflection system to be optimized for the specific examination scenario. This preliminary optimization ensures proper arrangement of mirrors and other reflective elements to maximize signal quality without complicating the overall setup process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables optimized reflection system arrangements that improve signal-to-noise ratio and ensure proper patient positioning, preventing interference with medical imaging device elements, and allowing flexible sensor placement and enhanced patient comfort through remote monitoring.
Implementation Method 1
a reflection system (9) adapted to provide a line-of-sight between an area of interest (15) and an external device (17) arrangeable remotely to the area of interest (15) to emit radiation to the area of interest (15) and/or receive radiation from the area of interest (15) during examination
Data Source
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AI summary
It is presented a medical imaging system (1) comprising: a medical imaging device (2) comprising an examination bore (3), a patient support (5), wherein the patient support (5) is movable between an in-bore and an out-bore position, a workflow camera system (7) arranged outside the examination bore (3) and adapted to monitor a patient support area (11) outside the examination bore (3), a reflection system (9) comprising at least one reflective surface (19), wherein the reflection system (9) is adapted to provide a line-of-sight (13) between an area of interest (15) and an external device (17) arrangeable remotely to the area of interest (15) to emit radiation to the area of interest (15) and/or receive radiation from the area of interest (15) during examination, wherein the workflow camera system (7) is adapted to detect an arrangement of the reflection system (9) when the patient support (5) is arranged at the out-bore position and to determine optimized reflection system arrangement information for optimizing an arrangement of the reflection system (9).